Roddy and Alex, Julie and Nick, Avril and Simon, Simon , Kerry and Amerjeet, Diane and James, and Tristan and Scott mention happy
How did you find the process of being approved?
“As it went on, it felt like free counseling a little bit rather than… people sort of probing and us getting defensive”
What are the brilliant things about adopting?
“‘Oh wow, so we’ll be like normal children’, and it suddenly dawned, dawned on me that our children didn’t feel at that point that they were like all the other children because normal children don’t have a social worker and don’t have to have a”
What happened when you were officially adopted?
“It was like ‘Ah, everything’s over’. It was just the start of a new life really… with just the little bits of trauma to come.”
Are you pleased you were adopted?
“I finally felt like I was loved by someone. Although it… didn’t necessarily need a court hearing and the words ‘you’re adopted’, to say… it was just more I needed to be settled into a family”
How was it when you first met your child/ren?
“...just played with his toys and he was happy wasn’t he, and it kind of grew from there…but that first day was stunning. ”
What would you say to anybody thinking about adoption?
“And don’t wait, don’t think we’ll put it off and we’ll wait for a few years, just do it!”
How were you matched with your child?
“And when we’d found out that, you know, that it was gonna be us we said well, yeah ok, when can we have them? And they said we have to really wait ‘til they’re six weeks old and… my husband, Steve, was having none of it and said ‘no I want them ”
Did you always know you were adopted?
“I don’t think there was any one specific time when I, when it kind of clicked that I was adopted. I mean… It’s, it’s always been the normal, normal thing for me.”
What advice would you give to someone considering adopting?
“Go for it! It’s… The process of actually going through the adoption interviews is quite tough. But if you… if you’re committed and, you know, you want a positive outcome then it’s definitely worth all the questions and the probing”
How was it when you first met your child/ren?
“And the questions got progressively deeper, and you were thinking OK so this is from a seven and eight year old and then came the jaw-dropping question, “Do you two sleep together?” ”